Where are you staying? are these choices close to your hotel? I ask because on our first trip to Paris we would take the metor to dinner each night - the nest trip I stayed in our neighborhood - after a long day of sightseeing, that worked better and might help you narrow down your choices. The only one of these I have eaten at is Bofinger and I was not impressed BUT it was on that first trip - by the time we had negotiated the Bastille area and found the restaurant we were already a bit put off. Then we had a waiter that just could not understand our attempt to say butter - brrrrr (buerre?)so that didn't help either.

I thought Le Procope had average food at best--not impressed at all. Le Comptoir (attached to The Relais St. Germain?) is good. A favorite of mine is Le Tastevin, 46 rue St. Louis en l'Ile. Small, unpretentious but charmingly decorated and consistently good with reasonable prices, and the best Chablis I have ever had.

Loved Cafe Constant, no reservations, so get there early. Le Pre Verre is very good, has a well priced lunch special too. Haven't been to the others.

Thanks, Sue. I've also thought about sticking around the area of our hotel. We're staying in the 6th, and several of the restaurants I've listed are located there. Others are in the
1st, 5th, 7th.

FWIW we have learned over time to avoid places written up in tourist guides. Our best meals (not gourmet but very nice food at a reasonable price) have been neighborhood type places frequented mostly by Parisiens. Not all work out, but most do. We loved Le Buisson Ardent (25, r Jussieu, 5e), for example.

Suec1, Thought I had submitted a reply to your response, but don't see it here. We are staying in the 6th, and several of
the restaurants I listed are located there. Others are in the
1st, 5th, 7th. Thanks, everyone, for your input.

I also didn't think Le Procope was particularly special. Like the previous poster, we usually skip the guidebook restaurants. We just spent a week in the St. Germain area and had great meals just picking out places in the neighborhood that we passed by during the day. We also had a few suggestions from our driver of where the locals eat.

Le Procope is worthy of a visit because it is (supposedly) the oldest restaurant in Paris, not because of the food.

Did you see the other Fodor's thread on this subject?
http://tinyurl.com/mm8fnj

Of the places you've listed, we've been to Au Bon Accueil twice, and enjoyed it very much both times. We took the metro to Trocadero, gazed at the gorgeous view of the Eiffel Tower for a while, then walked across the bridge and strolled around under the tower for another perspective. We then walked to the restaurant, which is pretty close by. When we left after dinner, the timing was perfect, (we were lucky!), because the Eiffel Tower, which seems to loom over the street, was in the midst of its hourly "light show". Pretty spectacular!

Auberge de la Reine Blanche, 30 Rue de St-Louis-en-l'Ile is one of our favorites. It is quite small but very nice. I don't see many places on the islands mentioned here, but I think this one at least is worth a mention. It has nice reviews (including mine) on TripAdvisor and I think many people just happen upon it.

Bookmarking

Thanks, everyone. I try to gather as much information as I
can from family, friends, travel forums, guidebooks, foodie
magazines, hotel concierge, etc. Padams421, could you share
the names of restaurants where you ate in the St. Germain area?

If you are near the Luxembourg Gardens, seek out Les Papilles; set menu, we stumbled upon it during a stroll; I have a 6th sense for finding great restaurants anywhere. Info online or in Paris food guides. High quality with low-medium prices. Another old favorite is Polidor, which has been an establishment near the Sorbonne for centuries. Not the greatest of cuisine but aahh, the ambiance of who was there when. Lunch at Grand Vefour worth every Euro, treated like the royalty who ate there as well and such a wonderful way to spend 3 mid-day hours relaxing. Chez L'Ami Jean was hard to find; extremely noisy and pricey though good, isnt on our repeat list, service "ehh". I second Bofinger, and also recommend on the Seine, a Guy Savoy Les Bouquinistes, which was outstanding. And do not return from Paris without a visit to Angelina on Rue Rivoli for Chocolat' l'Africain. Great location for lunch before or after museums nearby or a lovely break afterward. It's been two years since our 5th visit to Paris and I am in withdrawal.

Skip Allard and Bofinger, both are purely for tourists; overpriced and mediocre. I do love Brasseries, La Rontonde and Balzar(a personal favorite, and the model for Balthazar in NYC, food is just fine, but not great. The service and reception is great, however.

Chez l'ami Jean and Café Constant for sure -- make reservations! Don't worry that they're in guidebooks -- they are so worth it!! The ambience, the food, the friendliness of the staff -- amazing!Do reserve for both. I have a great book called Paris by Bistro and we frequently arrange our trips around where we're going to eat - we take the métro or a taxi - doesn't matter where you're staying. If you can splurge, reserve at le Jules Verne (2nd level of the Eiffel) for a truly memorable meal and an amazing view. Ask for a window w. a view. The staff here is also wonderful. You go up in a private elevator, so no fee for the tower and no lines. Bon appétit!!

suec1, here is a quote I just love.

"In Paris they simply stared when I spoke to them in French.
I never did succeed in making those idiots understand their own language." ~ Mark Twain

Les Papilles!!

I would kill to eat at Le Timbre. Couldn't get in last November.

Lunch at the restaurant of the Orsay is very nice if you are going to the museum for the day.

Thin

If you want a restaurant the locals go to, try Petit Prince, near the Sorbonne. They have great food and service and a very mixed crowd. Didier, the host and owner is a true delight. It is moderately priced butthe food is superb.

jetsetj - had never seen that quote before but I like it - Mark Twain was quite a wit.

I like the quote, as well. Thanks, guys, for the continued
suggestions.

What type of food do you want to eat? There is such a choice!
I can give you three good adresses, one is:
Chez Nathalie rue Vandrezanne in the 13th (Just by Bastilles, where you can visit the Opera, in addition to going to a concert). Very tasty food, creative and not too expensive.
The other is Brasserie Le Stella Av Victor Hugo in the 16th (close to Arc of Triumph). Very french type of food, more expensive (but in that area it's difficult to find good cheap meal).
Now you should take a brunch in the Coquelicot rue des Abbesses, if you are having a day visit of Montmartre, the service is very good, the breads are fantastic, the cakes are wonderful and the prices very very reasonable.

I agree with d_claude-bear

I've been to Paris several times and the best restaurants were the ones I stumbled upon (hence, I can't remember the name) after getting lost!

I think the restaurants that are in the tourist books are almost never worth the money (tourist traps)and are only mentioned because of their proximity to the Parisian monuments. As tourists, they depend on us to be too afraid of traveling outside of our comfort zone. So they offer bland food, throw a french name on it and voila! French Cuisine that everyone must have!

But every now and then, a tricky and brave tourist lands in their city and discovers a low key restaurant with good food; and saves a few bucks in the process!

Believe it or not, there is a yacht basin where the St. Martin Canal ends near Place de Bastille. On the east side of the yacht basin is a lovely restaurant that overlooks the yacht basin and the city. I have no idea of the name, but we certainly enjoyed it.

Uma,
Beg, borrow or steal a copy of "Clotilde's Edible Adventures in Paris" and also check out her blog www.chocolateandzucchini.com. Clotilde, who lives in Paris, knows food.Her recommendations and reviews are wonderful. Bon Appetit !

Bookmarking

Im almost embarrassed to admit my naivete about French food.
I recently saw Barefoot Contessa make Tartines. Basically an open-faced sandwich. Where is a good place in 4th or 5th for these tasty morsels?

If the line is long at L'as du fallafel, which it usually is, you can go across the straat to Mi Va Mi. The NYTimes wrote...

"At this restaurant, located in the heart of Jewish Paris, the lines are short, the service is friendly, and the falafel and spit-grilled shwarma are fantastic. Ask for some zesty red salade Turque on top and finish with excellent fig strudel at nearby Florence Finkelstein."

Pjk

Uma,

We loved La Petite Chaise. On the border of the 6th/7th - 5 blocks to the Saint-Germain-des-Prés church. Not only excellent in every way and affordable but it's been there since 1680.

http://www.alapetitechaise.fr/

More questions, more replies. Thanks, all. So many suggestions
and places to check out; wish we had more than a week to spend. I know we'll be frequenting boulangeries and patisseries, too!

The Smoking Dog restaurant that JulieV mentioned is one that we really enjoy. We found it on our trip 2 years ago and went there a couple times. When we returned this summer, we had to go back.

La Petite Chaise!

I had forgotten that I have eaten there on several occasions, the last time in June, 1999.

The salmon was very good.

Thin

My new favorite resto that I "discovered" last trip is in L'Hotel, on rue des Beaux Arts. Most memorable meal of my trip, and I dined at L'Espadon as well, just mentioning that for comparison.

where is The Smoking Dog restaurant ?

What are your favorites in the 5th?